Bustle and philosophy partnered to bring you New Year, New You .
It’s easy to fall into the trap of New Year’s resolutions. With all the articles, blog posts, social media posts and emails promising to transform you into a whole new you it’s hard not to think that now. is. the. time. to make all your dreams come true. Whether you’re hoping to lose weight, get the dream job, or finally get super, majorly organized this year, odds are you’ll not likely keep those January 1st promises (sorry).
Hello New Year, Goodbye Resolutions
But, take solace in the fact that you’re not alone. According to a recent survey, only eight percent of people actually achieve their resolutions. And that’s okay. Because no matter what, you’re better than the promise you made. You’re more than the weight you wanted to shed. You’re not your job. Your worth isn’t based on the quality of your filing system.
This year, let’s ditch the resolutions (if you haven’t already.) Let’s say goodbye to empty, unrealistic resolutions that have little to no chance of working. Instead, let’s take steps towards real renewal. Let’s figure out what we actually want for ourselves – regardless of the time of year – and take the necessary steps towards creating tangible goals to get ourselves there.
One of the best parts of being a human is our constant quest for self-improvement. However, it’s essential to recognize the fact that Rome wasn’t built in a day. And neither are we. The thing about New Year’s resolutions is that they’re not only designed to fail, they’re kind of designed to make you feel bad about the person you are. And we don’t have to accept it.
Resolve to be You
You may never become the woman who shows up to a party early with a perfectly baked quiche in hand and expertly applied lipstick, but seriously — who is? The people you see on Instagram, with their perfectly curated lives bathed in amazing lighting and filters should not be the ideal you hold yourself to. The women in magazines, though undoubtedly beautiful, also benefit from teams of people whose jobs are to make them look their best. It’s time for us to recognize that even though our hours spent on Pinterest may have convinced us that there seem to be thousands of women living perfect lives with adorable crafts and expertly coiffed hair, that perception should not effect our lives, our worth, or our reality.
So instead of making the beginning of the year a time of trial, error, regret and guilt, let’s skip the nonsense and go straight to accepting you for you. Where you decide that even if you might not be the magazine-perfect version of yourself, you can still be a perfect version of yourself– flaws and all. If you do want to make some adjustments in your routine or life, more power to you. But decide that instead of changing yourself, you will enhance yourself and work hard to achieve what want. And even if you do fall short of whatever you were hoping to achieve this month, let’s skip the shame spiral. At the end of the day, you are you. And you are pretty damn awesome.
Image: Giphy (2); petukhovanton/Flickr
